Sweater
by LZClotho
Summary: Emma joins Henry and Regina at the mansion in the afternoon of Christmas Day for an early holiday dinner. She is still wearing the sweater her mother gifted her with. Regina snarks. Then Emma gives her the gift from Snow… a matching sweater. Established SQ.


**Author's Note:** A little bit of holiday season fluffiness. Behold the trope of the "ugly holiday sweater."

**Summary: **Emma joins Henry and Regina at the mansion in the afternoon of Christmas Day for an early holiday dinner. She is still wearing the sweater her mother gifted her with. Regina snarks. Then Emma gives her the gift from Snow… a matching sweater. Established SQ.

_**Sweater**_

"Who is it, Henry?" Regina's voice reached Emma as she entered the mansion as Henry held open the door.

"It's Ma!" Henry shouted back.

Emma heard rapidly clicking heels on the Italian tile and looked up from Henry's hug to see when Regina entered the foyer from the kitchen. "Hey," she said over their son's head.

"Hey," Regina replied and the smile is a bit hesitant still. Emma understood. This _between them_ is still a little new and both have every reason to be gun-shy.

Emma's smile widened and she reached out toward Regina who came a few steps closer. "I told you I'd make it out of there alive," she said.

"Your Charming father did sound annoyed when I left the message that you were invited to dinner here."

"I told them I needed to spend some quality time with my kid and his mom today, too."

She pulled a wrapped package from the bag on her shoulder and held it toward Henry. "This is for you, by the way, compliments of your grandparents."

Henry jumped at the present with a grin and started tearing at the paper which was a winter scene of children skating on a frozen pond. "They did that solstice thing, right?"

"Yeah, it was kinda neat," Emma said. "Lots of candles and wishes, and 'pushing out the darkness' praying with the nuns - I mean - fairies."

Regina nodded. "Glad I skipped it." She held out a hand. "May I take your coat?"

"Yeah." Emma worked quickly down the front of her back peacoat and released the buttons. She smiled as Regina's hands met hers on the thick material.

"What on earth are you wearing?"

Henry had started up the stairs and turned at the tone of alarm heard so clearly from his normally unflappable mother. "Wha?" He scrunched up his nose. "Ma? Did every holiday story throw up on your chest?"

"Where did you get that sweater?"

Emma looked down at her chest and sighed. "Mom."

"I am sorry I couldn't fix her taste in clothing in 28 years." Regina shook her head. "It's actually worse than the redecorating she did in the office. I didn't think that was possible."

Emma plucked at the sunshine yellow sweater. Puffy threads formed a blue swan next to a huge green satin bow. Next to that, on her right hip, was a cloth inset of what Emma knew to be the White coat of arms, cleverly masking a pocket. A lump formed in her throat. _I like it._

Emma realized she had spoken aloud when she looked up catching brown and green eyes looking stricken. Henry had taken her gloves and Regina had her coat in her hands; both were frozen in place like they'd been caught by one of Elsa's misdirected spells. Regina, in particular, looked like she had been hit.

Regina threw the coat at Henry and reached out grasping Emma's hands. "Forget I said anything."

"Really?"

"It's…_charming_," Regina emphasized.

"You think so?" Emma said.

"Yes, dear."

"Glad to hear it." Emma pulled another package from the bag over her shoulder. "Mom made one for you, too."

Regina's hands had automatically reached out to grip the present as it was extended toward her. Her mouth dropped open. She stared at the mostly red package covered in random snowflakes. "Oh."

"Yeah, she said since we're dating now, at least we can match."

"Grams really said that?" Henry asked, staring from the package in Regina's hands back up to Emma's face, wide-eyed.

"Yeah."

Regina frowned then, still pensive, she carefully separated the paper at the taped seams, parting them with her nail. The paper fell to the floor and Henry scooped it up as Regina turned the gift over and around in her hands, taking in the whole of it.

With a last glance at Emma and a small inhale, Regina lifted the sweater over her head and pulled it down, right over her holiday dress.

Emma offered a beatific and derpy quirked smile that took Regina's breath away.

Wearing the sweater was worth every itchy second for the rest of the night, right up until Emma took it off Regina at midnight, and she got to watch Emma taking off her own before they laid together on the middle of Regina's bed.

Stroking Regina's collarbones, sending shivers of desire hotly through Regina's body, Emma said, "I love you. And I love that you wore that thing just for me."

"It wasn't that bad," Regina hedged, hoping Emma would continue what she was doing.

"It is awful," Emma corrected, nipping at Regina's jaw then lips, before continuing. "But it meant a lot to me to get something from my parents."

"I know." Regina held open her arms and sighed happily as Emma snuggled into her embracing body. She tucked a leg around Emma's and put her heel behind Emma's ankle, tenderly locking her lover in place while she stroked her hair.

Emma's hands slid down and retrieved the sheets, pulling the satin over their bodies. Regina simply held Emma more tightly when she settled against her once again and closed her eyes, warm breath cascading over her throat. She was content to bask in the tender emotions floating their joined magic around them, so warm on this cold night.


End file.
